Over the last decade, large and consistent increases in health care costs have driven health-care payers (employers, health plans, state and federal government) to seek methods of controlling expenses. The leading cost-control trend today is to provide economic incentives for consumers to actively participate in making their health care decisions. However, the present inventor has recognized that the success of this type of cost control hinges on the quality of healthcare decisions that incentivized consumers will make. Poor decisions may undermine or limit any promise of actual cost control.
Accordingly, the present inventors recognized a need for tools that help consumers make healthcare decisions.